The International community has now chimed in with their concerns over funding cuts to every free tenant advice service, including the Tenants’ Union of Queensland, across the state. Tenant advice services are funded under the Tenant Advice and Advocacy (TAAS) program and were given 3 months’ notice of discontinuation of funding, ending on October 31.

Last week the International Union of Tenants’ (IUT), based in Sweden, wrote to Premier Newman expressing a strong view that funding to tenant advice services should not be cut.

The IUT emphasised that on an International comparison Queensland has low levels of security of tenure the rental market. Combined with a low share of social housing, meaning most tenants are living in the private rental market, it is even more important for them to have access to quality advisory services. In Queensland there are 500,000 renting households, only 3-4% of which are in social housing.

The IUT called on the Premier to reinstate the TAAS program.

The Save Tenant Services Campaign is seeking your support for TAAS funding reinstatement.  Please call, write and or email your local MP, the Housing Minister and the Premier and tell them you want TAAS funding reinstated.  These are front line services which the Premier said he would protect.